This paper presents the results of the study of the composite based on magnesium hydride with the addition of nanosized nickel powder, obtained by the method of an electric explosion of wires. The obtained MgH₂-EEWNi (20 wt.%) composite with the core-shell configuration demonstrated the development of a defect structure, which makes it possible to significantly reduce the hydrogen desorption temperature from 418 °C for pure magnesium hydride to 229 °C for hydride with the addition of nickel powder. In situ studies of the evolution of the defect structure using positron annihilation methods and diffraction methods made it possible to draw conclusions about the influence of the Mg₂NiH_0.3 and Mg₂NiH₄ phases on the sorption and desorption properties of the composite. The results obtained in this work can be used in the field of hydrogen energy in mobile or stationary hydrogen storage systems.

In this work, the peculiarities of microstructure changes in Cr-coated Zr1%Nb alloy under high-temperature hydrogenation and Kr ion irradiation were investigated. A comprehensive analysis revealed that Cr coating reduces the thickness of the Kr+ radiation damage zone by 15%–20% and decreases the density of radiation-induced defects compared to that of uncoated Zr1%Nb alloy. Additionally, Cr-coated samples exhibit a more uniform hydrogen distribution. According to first-principles calculations and positron annihilation spectroscopy, hydrogen-free dislocations predominate in the Cr-coated Zr1%Nb alloy after hydrogenation and irradiation. These findings emphasize the protective role of Cr coatings in mitigating radiation damage and hydrogen embrittlement in zirconium alloys.

The method of thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) implemented on an automated Gas Reaction Controller LPB complex and the procedure for conducting experiments on the study of hydrogen accumulation using the TDS method are described. The use of the complex made it possible to perform experiments on TDS immediately after saturation with hydrogen without removing the samples from the vacuum environment. The operating temperatures of the complex were in the range from 20 to 1000°C. The heating rate was kept constant and could be set between 0.1°C/min and 6°C/min. The pressure range was from 6 × 10^–8 to 1 × 10^–5 Pa when performing thermal desorption spectroscopy and from 0.02 Pa to 5 × 10³ Pa when the samples were saturated with hydrogen. For the E110 zirconium alloy, the temperature dependence of the sorption rate was determined. Using in situ X-ray diffraction on synchrotron radiation, it was shown that during gas-phase hydrogenation in the E110 zirconium alloy (Zr–1% Nb), δ-hydrides were formed throughout the entire bulk of the material. Under thermal action, the dissociation of hydrides occurred in the temperature range of 500–550°C. With a further increase in temperature, a thermally stimulated release of hydrogen occurred, accompanied by a phase transition of zirconium from the α to the β phase.